


Life of A Warrior

by Kalorii



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen, Injury, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-06
Updated: 2013-06-06
Packaged: 2017-12-14 03:11:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/832027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalorii/pseuds/Kalorii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After taking the shot from Old Man Winter that was meant for Jack, Bunnymund starts realising that it's not a simple injury that will heal. Knowing that he will have to face reality sooner or later, he takes a moment to reflect on things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life of A Warrior

**Author's Note:**

> This was suggested to me by [the-guardian-of-fun](http://the-guardian-of-fun.tumblr.com) herself and I had never thought of writing it which surprises me. Doing thoughts that run through a character's head is one of my favourite things to write because it's a great exercise to get into a mindset and get closer to them. It turned out a lot longer than I expected and I'm pretty sure I ran in circles a little near the end but such is the way of thoughts.
> 
> As always, the Winter Prince AU belongs to [the-guardian-of-fun](http://the-guardian-of-fun.tumblr.com) and I'm just very glad that I'm able to write in this universe. <3 If you want more information, you can find the [origins of Winter Prince Jack Frost on her blog](http://the-guardian-of-fun.tumblr.com/post/47939524447/winter-prince-origin)!

The loud thud of a book hitting a table echoed around the simple room that Bunnymund called home. It had been hell to grab this book and now he had to find a way to sit down and actually read it. Although, if he wanted to be honest, he wasn't aiming to read anything, just looking for an excuse to sit down and think.

With a loud grunt of pain, Aster sat down in his sitting area, favouring one side and making sure it didn't brush against anything. The wound was excruciating and only in the comfort of his home would he ever let on that it was. He needed to come to terms with a handful of things before he let the other Guardians know what was going on - if he did at all. They would make a scene that would threaten to overwhelm him if he didn't do as he wanted right now.

North had already yelled at him for how foolish he was but the Russian knew exactly why he'd done it. Everything he did that involved Jack these days was because of love. Now he was going to pay the ultimate price for saving the young Guardian from the largest threat that they had ever encountered.

Oden Winter. It was a name that many didn't know unless you said the name that it had been twisted into. He was Old Man Winter to many and it was almost a Jack Frost-level of amusement that ran through Aster as he recalled how it had persevered well into this age. If it didn't hurt so much to laugh, Bunny certainly would have.

Reaching up with a hand, Bunny put it over his eyes as he leaned to one side in his seat. He was losing his mind, trying to rationalise things that couldn't be dealt with. The Pooka had put up a strong front as he always did, not wanting to make anyone feel guilty for what had happened, especially not Jack. After all, he had been the intended mark, not Bunny. If he hadn't been there to block the shot, there was no doubt in his mind that the winter spirit wouldn't even be here now.

No one truly knew how old E. Aster Bunnymund was except for perhaps North who had been there when he was chosen as a Guardian. When asked, Bunny would simply say that he was "old enough" and leave it at that. The truth was that he was older than any spirit on this planet save for Pitch Black. It wasn't something he bragged about nor did he really think on it all that much. However, he had the added benefit of seeing the birth of nearly every single spirit through the ages.

It had been in the time that the humans called the ice age when Oden rose up. He was harsh then and time hadn't removed that from him. When he was brought into the world, he was a necessity which the old bugger was quick to remind him. It was sad to say that Aster and Oden were as much alike as they were opposites. Bunny still upheld old traditions, insisted on the balance of nature as the world had needed since it was created. In the old times, before Jack Frost, Winter would bring death to the world which paved the way for the new life that would spring up when Bunnymund took the reins of the warmer season.

That was then. This was now.

He remembered the rage which had boiled beneath the calm exterior of his old comrade. Bunny had been careful not to say outright how he felt about Jack since that would lend no weight to his opinion. He would be thrown off as being biased which, he supposed, maybe he was. The world had changed and the Pooka was quick to acknowledge that. Winter had no reason to be the streak of death that it once was. There was a reason that Tzar Lunar had brought Jack Frost back as a winter spirit and it was because of the changing face of what winter needed to be. Oden simply couldn't - and refused - to see that.

Really, Aster could sympathise. The Groundhog was probably the closest he would get to another spirit of spring who attempted to predict when winter would end and spring would begin. However, that was more of a joke rather than a full-on affront to what Bunny did each spring. Jack could control the powers of winter just as much as Oden could except that it was with much less malice behind it. It was what winter had become, another season where fun could be had even with the biting cold. Humans had adapted to the chill for the most part and it would take more than a simple snowfall to wipe out a town of humans.

Either way, it was clear now that Winter wanted Jack gone. He had been so close to killing him and Bunny was glad that he could do what he did to save the one who deserved his rank. If he had been only a second slower then Jack would be gone completely from this world. Bunny had underestimated the amount of hatred Oden had for the winter spirit.

Another throb of his wound brought Aster out of his thoughts. Everything felt like an age ago and so inconsequential now. He understood what Oden had been trying to do and it was something that Bunny would never approve of. Even if he lost every single believer he had then he was still more powerful than nearly every spirit on this Earth. Now he could feel it, his power being sapped and feeding another, the one who had inflicted the injury upon him to begin with.

No matter how he tried to deny it, he was going to die. Yet, as he sat in silence, listening only to the ticking of a clock nearby, he was at peace with this. Bunny had lived such a very long time, clawing his way through the first few millennia alone with no one there to help him. He had come all this way and perhaps this was his real purpose, the reason for living.

The thought brought a soft smile to his face, an image of Jack as he'd first met him forming in his mind. Such an innocent spirit, a pain in his tail but there was no malice in what he did. The gentleness of someone who commanded cold had shocked him so much after Oden's way of chilling a person to their marrow. Jack Frost wanted only fun, snowballs and snowmen, sleigh rides and quiet snowfalls. It was a refreshing change even if he had never made it more obvious how much he enjoyed it. Rivalry became friendship, friendship grew into love - for Aster, at least.

It was his one regret that the young Guardian would never know how he felt. Bunny knew that he was old and, for all of the years behind him, love was the one thing he had no experience in. That was probably why he had held back, wanting to give Jack his space. To Bunny, Jack didn't need the added interference of someone fumbling with their own emotions while the winter spirit found his footing as a Guardian. There was also the fact that he was a six-foot-one rabbit. It wasn't exactly something conventional but, if given the chance, Aster would have taken it eagerly.

There was no sense in getting caught up in such thoughts. Even telling Jack now wasn't an option. What would be the point of it? To cause him more heartache or to make him do something completely stupid? No, there were other things that needed to be taken care of before his selfish desires. Such as what happened after Oden stole all of Aster's power along with the season of spring.

So much to think about and so little time. Stolen power, stolen season and eventually a stolen life.

Heaving a great sigh, Bunny reached out with one hand and flexed it slightly. He suddenly felt so old, all of his years catching up to him and reminding him that he'd lived far beyond what he should have. Yet giving up was not something that he would ever do because there was far too much at risk if he did. Winter had long forgotten what it was like to live and now was mindlessly clinging to old traditions without thinking about the consequences. Of course he knew that he didn't get Jack and he didn't attempt to correct what he had done. He would bask in the extra power and conquer the world if given the chance.

Forcing himself to his feet, Aster decided to go to the kitchen to make himself some tea. There was a knock at the door and he turned a bit too quickly, nearly falling over as he did. With a muttered curse, he shook his head. "Come in," he said, forcing himself to stand up regardless of how much pain it put him in.

The door opened and framed in it was Jack, holding tightly to his staff as he came in. His eyes immediately fixed on the bandages which were still oozing blood now and then, mostly each time he moved. "I thought you might be resting so I came here to see if you needed help," Jack said, turning his anxious gaze back up to Bunny's face.

"Oh come on, frostbite. Don't give me that look, it doesn't suit ya. I'd be layin' down but I don't think I could straighten up again if I did. Besides, ya know it takes more than a little poke to bring me down." Both of them laughed softly at that and he could see the small amount of relief on his friend's face. If Aster could show a brave face, he would be all right. Even though that wasn't really the case, he didn't mind letting Jack believe that right now.

Turning around, slower this time, Bunny carefully made his way toward the entrance to the kitchen. He couldn't hide the limp but he managed to keep his breathing steady as he walked. His ears twitched as he heard the much faster steps of Jack running after him, nearly leaping back as his friend popped up in front of him.

"Here, let me do it. Tea, right?" Jack disappeared into the kitchen without further prompting. It was no surprise that he knew what he was doing by now having watched Bunny do the motions so many times before. The staff was set aside as he started by pulling down the teapot that was always used and the kettle used to heat the water being set on the stove.

Bunny watched for a moment before he raised his hands and shook them. "Hold on, hold on," he muttered, putting a hand over Jack's when he pulled down the canister of green tea leaves. "You're rushin' and there's only one reason you do that. Just spit it out, mate. Can't ya just be upfront once?"

He knew exactly what was bothering the young Guardian. Anyone would know what was bothering him and how hard it was to say the words he wanted to say. Bunny removed his hand to let Jack continue what he was doing which was less hurried now and more careful. Tea leaves found their way into the teapot which was set aside for later and Jack looked up with blue eyes that Aster could drown in. It took everything he had not to give into his feelings and tell him it would be all right. It would be a lie, a disgustingly cruel one.

"I just wanted to say thanks. You saved my life, Bunny." There was a bright smile that went along with those words and fidgeting fingers that played with the lid to the canister of tea leaves. He muttered something that sounded like an apology before Jack returned the lid to the container and then put it back in the cupboard. "North is still really pissed off at you and I should be but I'm not. You could have died."

Aster said nothing, pressing his lips together. Each breath he took in hurt, his side pulsed and he could feel the power just ebbing from him. It would still take time but it was like losing blood and eventually he would lose enough that he wouldn't be able to hide it any longer.

Straightening himself and ignoring the pain, he inclined his head in lieu of a regal bow. With a flourish, Bunny curled a hand into a fist and then lay that arm across his chest. "It was my pleasure," he said, looking up with an amused grin. He felt something like what his father might have felt, knowing that he had done his best to protect something important to him. "I'm not dead but you would have been, mate. You're strong but Oden's stronger than you are and he's not going to stop until he takes you down."

This response apparently didn't sit well with Jack who frowned before seeking out teacups and saucers which he set on the counter. Eventually he laughed as he always did, a pleasant sound that made Aster's ears twitch. "Then at least I have a good protector."

For now he did. He didn't know how long he had considering how much power was within him. It could be tomorrow or it could be a year from now but eventually he would fall and perhaps die before anyone had a chance to save him. Whatever the case, he would die knowing that he had lived the life of a Pookan warrior and he would be honoured as such.

"I've always got your back. You can bet on it."


End file.
